Inside the deme, Clusius saw many people gathered, chatting in front of their houses.
"Even though it's already night, so many people are still outside. It's very different from my deme, which was rather quiet."
Feeling thirsty for quite some time, Clusius decided to look for a drink at the market within the deme. To avoid insults from others, he kept wearing his mask since the moment he entered.
He eventually arrived at the market. The aroma of grilled meat, the sweetness of honey and strawberries, and the fresh night air brought a sense of calm to Clusius's weary soul.
He walked through every corner of the market, searching for something to drink.
"Fifteen matria, thirteen matria… Isn't there anything cheaper?"
His steps suddenly stopped when he saw a glass of iced tea priced at only eight matria. He immediately approached the stall and ordered a glass of sweet iced tea.
"To be honest, I'm a bit hungry. Should I buy something to eat?"
Considering his financial situation, he decided not to buy food… at least until the smell of grilled bread filled with sausage hit his nose.
"Hmm… Wow, this is really good. After days of eating nothing but wild fruits, food like this tastes incredible!"
Clusius sat alone on a park bench. Beside him, a moonstone lamp emitted a soft bluish glow. As he filled his stomach, he thought about where he would spend the night.
An old hunchbacked man in torn clothes approached him. He smelled foul, enough to ruin anyone's appetite. He stretched out his hand, his skin dry and cracked, telling a story of hardship without a single word.
"J-just a little… If you don't want to, that's fine…"
Out of compassion, Clusius gave the elderly beggar two matria.
"Thank you… You are a kind child… May God forgive the sins of your past."
"Hey, you! Get out of here! Don't disturb people who are eating, or I'll throw you out of this deme!" shouted a knight guarding the area.
"I'm sorry, kid, if that man disturbed your meal."
"It's fine. I wasn't bothered at all," Clusius replied.
"That's good. Enjoy your meal, kid… I don't think I've ever seen that man before," he muttered quietly as he walked away.
Clusius remained silent and continued eating.
After finishing his meal, he threw away the paper container and returned the wooden cup to the stall.
"Here, five nit for returning the cup."
A round wooden token suddenly landed in his hand.
"I didn't expect to get money just for returning a cup."
"If I didn't do that, people would just take my cups home. If that keeps happening, I'd go out of business quickly," the merchant replied.
"I think that's a clever idea!"
"It's a common practice. All merchants here do the same."
Clusius returned to the bench. He opened his pouch and began counting.
"Ten nit, thirteen matria, twenty-four madarica, and three manatria. Seems like the person I took this from was quite wealthy. I'm a bit lucky to have come here with money."
Clusius stood up and began searching for an inn.
Not too far from the market, he found one. Its walls were made of stone, decorated with wooden carvings above the door, along with creeping plants bearing red flowers along the walls.
"How much is it to stay here?"
"Thirty matria for one night. No discounts."
Clusius's mouth fell open upon hearing the price. He immediately left to search for another inn. He walked around the entire deme, but all the inns charged one manatria or more.
"Looks like you'll have to sleep on the streets tonight…"
He wandered around looking for a quiet place, but a shout suddenly made him turn back.
"Hey, thief! Where do you think you're going?!" a merchant shouted angrily.
"Please… I'm very hungry. Just give me a piece of bread. I'll pay you back later," the girl pleaded desperately. But instead of bread, she received a harsh kick from the shop owner.
"You've stolen from my shop many times! And now you're asking for free food?!"
Before another kick could hit the girl, Clusius shouted, telling the shop owner to stop.
"Who are you, kid? Trying to play hero?!"
"I'm not a hero… and I will never be one. I will remain Clusius until the end. That is my name."